Reversing mechanism for internal-combustion engines.



F. HBNNINGER.

REVERSING MECHANISM FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION menus.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 2, 1907.

1,013,491. Patented Jan.2,1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 F. HENNINGER. REVEBSING MECHANISM m INTERNAL consumer:ENGMIES.

A-PPLIGATION FILED AUG. 2, 1907.

Patented Jan. 2, 1912.

2 SHEETB-SHEBT 2,

\A/ITIJESSES INVENTEI M #mfiev FRIEDRIGH H ENNINGER, OF DEUTZ, NEARCOLOGNE, GERMANY.

REVERSING MECHANISM FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 2,1912.

Application filed Augusta, 1907. Serial No. 386,716.

operating and controlling the valve gear of.

engines in which the prime mover of the valve operating means is a camshaft operated from the engine shaft, andthe invention comprises theprovision of means adapt ed to be inserted between the cam shaft and thevalve stem to be adjusted in such interposed relation or to be entirelywithdrawn from such relation whereby the valves may i be appropriatelyoperated to control and regulate the operation ofthe engine, either in aforward or a reverse direction or to sus-' pend the operation of theengine entirely. A characteristic feature of the invention resides inmounting the intermediate mechanism, which is adapted to be, interposedbetween the cam shaft and the, valves, in one or more carriers orsupports which are rotatably mounted on the cam shaft and in suchrelation to the latter that the intermediate member or memberswhichserve to trans mit motion from the camsto the valves are free to move ina direction radial, or substantially radial, to the cam shaft. Anessential advantage of *this arrangement resides in the fact thatnqaseparate mounting for the interposed mechanism is required, inasmuchas the same is mounted directl on the cam shaft, whereforethe separatelymounted transmitting mechanisms between thewalves and the actuatingshaft therefor, as employed in engines of this character as heretoforeconstructed, are dispensed with.

Further advantage resides in the fact that the-supports or bearers ofthe intermediate mechanism, on account of their concentric arrangementwith the cam shaft, may be .made in the form of disks or frames and thelathe, or milling machine, thereby greatly reducing the cost ofproduction.

In the accompanyin drawings: Figure 1 is a longitudinal section througha valve actuating mechanism embodying the inven-' tion, said mechanismbein adapted to operate both the inlet and ex aust valve of an engine.Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken at right angles to that shown inFig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view corresponding to Fig. 1 showing a modified formof. the invention adapted to be applied to a reversing engine havingauxiliary means for starting the engine by compressed air or the like.Fig.4 is a vertical section at right angles to that shown in Fig. 3.Fig. 5 is a vertical elevation partly in section of an engine having theform of the invention illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 applied thereto.

In Figs. 1 and 2 there is illustrated a form of the invention adapted tobe applied to a reversing engine in which the cam shaft 5 is providedwith two sets of cams, indi' cated V, R, V, and R, which are adapted tocontrol the actuation of both the inlet and discharge valves of aninternal combustion engine, so that the direction of rotation of theengine may be determined by the position of the intermediate mechanisminterposed between the cams and the elementsdirectly connected with thevalves. The several cams are disposed longitudinally of the shaft 11,and may be conveniently arranged in the relative positions indicated inFig. 1. The intermediate devices for transmitting motion from the camsto the valves are conveniently made in the form of rollers '11, r, 'u',and r, mounted two and two at substantially diametrically oppositepoints in disk-form bearers or supports S, S, S, S, which are slotted asindicated to receive the spindles of the respective rollers and admit ofsaidrollers being moved radially with respect to the disks and the crankshaft. The cams V and R serve to actuate the inlet valve for forward andreversemovement of the engine, by means of valve rod E, and,correspondingly, the cams V and R operate the exhaust or dischargevalve. through the rocklever A, said valve 'stem being rovided with aroller e and the rock-lever having a corresponding roller e. 1

In the osition of the parts shown in FigsJ and 2 motion is transmittedto valve stem E by the roller 1! which moves freely,

disks S S so that when the high part of cam V engages roller '0 the sameis lifted and serves to lift the valve rod I). which is mounteddiametrically opposite roller r in the disks 8,6, and disposed laterallywith respect thereto and in alinement with cam R, serves, when thesupporting disksare turned through 180, to operate the inlet valve Efrom cam R and thereby to reverse the operation of the engine. In thesame way, the rollers 'v and r enga e and operate the rock-lever A toopen t e discharge or exhaust valve of the engine, and when thesupporting carrier disks of said rollers are moved through 180, theoperation is to change the valve from forward to reverse position, aswill be understood. In order to retain the rollers in proper relation inthe slots in the carrier disks, there is provided an inclosing casing C,the bottoms and sides of which are generally circular and serve toengageand hold the rollers in the slots white the carriers S are being rotatedfrom one position to another.

The position of the parts in Figs. 1 and 2 is that for forward runningof the engine, the roller '2; standing under roller e, on the end of theinlet valve stem, and the roller r lying above the roller c, on the endof rocklever A, so that, when the cam shaft is ro tated, the cams V andR will actuate the inlet and exhaust valves respectively, at appropriateintervals to control the admission and exhaust of the explosive charges.For reversing the engine it is only necessary to turn the connected setsor pairs of carrier disks S and S through 180 so that the inlet valvewill be actuated by cam R and roller 1', and the exhaust valve will beoperated by cam V and roller 12'. If the disks are turned a quarter of arevolution from the position indicated, all of the rollers are moved outof operative relation with the corresponding valve rods E and A, and thevalves are not actuated.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the timin of thedistribution, both as to eriod 'an' duration, of opening an closing theinlet and exhaust valves, may be nicely regulated and adjusted byproperly positioning the supports which carry the rollers c, r, 'v, andr, with res ect to the co operating cams. It will also 'e noted that, inthe arrangement shown, the face of the rollers e and e issufiiciently'wide to co operate with the two sets of rollers '12 and 1',and v and r', respectively.

The simultaneous shifting of the carriers or disks S and S may beeffected in any convenient manner and to suit. the conditions imposed byany particular design of engine, but an efiicient shifting'mechanism isthat illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, which comprises a spur gear aattached to the The roller 1-,

sleeve-like end of the right hand bearer disk S, which gear meshes witha drive gear m, provided with a crank it, said gear m being mounted in asuitable journal on the side of casing C.

The several disks S and S, are rigidly connected together by thefollowing means: The two intermediate disks S and S may be cast as aninte ral structure, While the outer disks S and are separate. Bolts 1'.provided with square ends, are mounted in the radial slots and, althoughfree to move in said slots in a radial direction, said bolts effectivelyprevent any relative rotation between the bearer disks themselves. Themiddle portions of the bolts 2' are preferably rounded and serve asshafts .or pintles around which the several transmission rollers r, r,c, and r, freely revolve. In order to keep the several rollers, justreferred to, in proper alinement with their cooperating cams, suitablespacing sleeves a: are applied to the bolts.

In addition to the function heretofore ascribed to the casing C, thelatter serves to protect the entire apparatus and, moreover, serves as acontainer for oil, which may be supplied in sufiicient quantities tosubmer e the various moving parts, and cause t e same to move smoothlyand noiselessly.

As heretofore indicated, the form of the invention illustrated in Figs.3 and 4 is adapted to reversing engines, which are provided with meansfor starting the engine ir either direction by compressed air. the airbeing admitted by the regular inlet valve. To provide for theappropriate operation of the inlet valve for starting by air pressure.and normal operation in either direction, four cams and four rollers arerequired for the actuation of each valve. In the example shown, theapparatus is applied to the inlet yalye only, and the distribution ofthe start ing air and the explosive mixture is effected at fourdifferent periods according to the rotation of the several cams V, R,DV, and DR, disposed along the cam shaft b. As illustrated R is thereverse. and V the forward gas inlet ca1n,'DV the forward and DR thereverse compressed air cam; and corresponding rollers, transmittingmotion from these cams to the valve stem E, are indicated by r, a, aleand ,dr, and in the position of the parts indicated in Figs. 3 and 4,the engine is adjusted to be run backward by the explosive gas mixture.The several rollers r, '0, (fraud do, are mounted in the disk,

like bearers S, S, in a manner altogether similar to that heretoforedescribed, and

mg mechanism through roller do for operation of the engine in a forwarddirection by compressed air, cam DV serving to lift roller do at theappropriate instant to effect this operation. After the engine has beenthus started forward under compressed air and the first cycle has beencompleted, the disks S, Sfare shifted another quarter of a revolution inthe direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 4 and roller 0 is brought belowroller 6 which causes forward gas inlet cam V to lift the inlet valvethrough stem E and interposed roller 4;. A further shifting of thebearer disks S through 90 brings roller 0Z1" under the valve stem sothat cam DR, which is the reverse air admission cam, controls theoperation ,of the inlet valve. It will, therefore, be seen that byadjusting. the bearer disks the engine may-be started forward bycompressed air, after which the motive fluid may be regularly admittedor the engine may be reversed under air pressure for which the explosivemixture may be sub stituted, in the manner indicated. It will beunderstood, of course, that. the roller 6, on the end of valve stem E,of sufficient breadth to be engaged by any of the lateral space rolls7', '11, (Zr and do, carried in the bearer disks S.

In Fig. 5 there is shown a practical application of the modificationshown in Figs. 3 and 4 to an explosive engine. In said Fig. 5, l"indicates a pipe or conduit leading from a source of compressed airgforstarting the engine, said pipe connecting with the inlet pipe J belowthe admission valve E, and above a stop valve X. Said pipe P is alsoprovided with a stop valve "i" below its connection with pipe J, andsaid valves X and Y are operated alternately y means of cams on the hubZ of crank K so that when valve X is opened, valve Y is closed andvice'versa, and after the engine has been started by the con'iprcssedair, valve X is preferably left open to admit the explosive charges topipe J, and valve Y is closed to shut off the com pressed air supply.

in the several modifications shown, the descri i1ion. has been directedto the operations wherein the intermediate members, the sev- Goples ofthis patent may be obtained for eral rollers o and r, variouslydesignated in Figs. 1 to 4, are so disposed as to either completelycouple or uneouple the valve rods with their actuatin cams, but itwillbe understood that, by a justing the carriers with respect to the camsand the valve rods so as to dispose the intermediate transmittingmembers more or less laterally with respect to a line connecting theaxes of the valve stems and the center of the cam shaft, without,however, moving the parts into inoperative relation, both the time andduration of admission and exhaust may be altered or regulated to meetthe exacting requirements of efiicient operation of the engine.

What I claim is 1. The combination with an engine and a controllingvalve therefor, of a valve actuating mechanism comprising a cam shaft,disk like supports having radial slots therein loosely mounted on saidcam shaft, a roller mounted in said slots and adapted to be movedradially therein in the cam shaft, and means for shifting sai supportsabout the cam shaft to bring the roller into and out of operativerelation with the cam shaft and the valve.

2. The combination with an engine having inlet. and exhaust valves. ofactuating mechanism for said valves comprising a cam shaft, a revolubleframe or support loosely mounted on said cam shaft and provided withslots substantially radial to said cam shaft, rollers slidably mountedin said radial slots and cotiperating with cams on said cam shaft, andmeans for adjusting the frame or support about the cam shaft to bringapproriate rollers into and out of cooperative reliition with therespective valves and the actuating cams therefor; whereby the enginemay be started, regulated, reversed or stopped accordin to the relationof the several rollers and t e corresponding valves.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

FRIEDRICH HENNINGER.

Witnesses LOUIS VANnoaN, M. Kivnrrnns.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. O.

